Events for November 27, 2017

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Martin Wong: Human Instamatic BAMPFA September 20–December 10, 2017 This exhibition surveys the career of Chinese American painter Martin Wong (1946–1999), from his early years painting street portraits in Northern California—where he dubbed himself the “Human Instamatic”—to his role in New York’s gritty downtown art scene in the 1970s and 1980s and his late work in San Francisco before his untimely death from AIDS. Wong was born in Portland, Oregon, and grew up near San Francisco’s Chinatown. After a year at UC Berkeley, he studied ceramics at Humboldt State University in Eureka. During the 1970s, dividing his time between Eureka and San Francisco, he made scroll poems in idiosyncratic calligraphy and designed sets for psychedelic experimental theater groups the Cockettes and Angels of Light. More Info

Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park in Downtown Berkeley will close for renovations Oct. 16 with a planned finish date of Dec. 31, 2018. Although most of the park will be closed during the renovation process, the skate park and lower plaza will remain open, according to Scott Ferris, director of the city’s Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Department. Berkeley is renovating the park as part of a larger effort to maintain all parks in the city, Ferris said. “This is just the time for Civic Center Park,” Ferris said. Civic Center Park has been the site of several controversial rallies over the past several months. On March 4, April 15, April 27 and Aug. 27, hundreds of protesters and counterprotesters from across the political spectrum gathered at the park to speak on controversial issues and demonstrate in crowds. Several of the rallies held at the park became violent as fights broke out and members of the crowd were hit with pepper spray. The scheduled renovations to the park involve maintenance updates but no major changes, Ferris said. Improvements will include repairing tiles, updating concrete and addressing potential hazards. Funding for the renovations comes from Berkeley’s Measure F, which increased....

The Night Fairy By John Glore Experience the magic at Bay Area Children's Theatre in Downtown Berkeley Adapted from the Candlewick Press book of the same name written by Laura Amy Schlitz. When tiny but feisty Flory loses her fairy wings in an attack by a bat, she has to muster all her courage and ingenuity to survive in a garden full of threatening creatures, including a voracious spider. Directed by Hannah Dworkin and Nina Meehan. More Info Open Date: 27 Oct 2017 Get Tickets Recommended for ages 8 and up. The performance runs about 60 minutes with no intermission.

The Royale By Marco Ramirez Directed by Darryl V. Jones Bay Area Premiere Starts November 3 The Aurora Theatre in Downtown Berkeley presents The Royale, from Marco Ramirez, the award-winning writer of the hit TV series Orange Is the New Black and Sons of Anarchy, comes a tightly constructed, viscerally theatrical tale that has seen acclaimed productions in New York, London, Chicago, and Los Angeles. It’s 1905, and Jay “the Sport” Jackson is ready to take on both the current heavyweight champion and the entrenched discrimination of the Jim Crow era -- but is America ready for him? The Royale is inspired by the real-life experiences of Jack Johnson, the first African-American heavyweight world champion. With rhythmic and ingenious staging, Ramirez's contenders never physically engage in the ring; instead it's The Sport's internal struggle that delivers a sharp and surprising impact. More Info "Fast, furious & ingenious." —Time Out New York For tickets & information, call 510.843.4822, visit auroratheatre.org/the-royale, or stop by the box office at 2081 Addison Street near Shattuck.

Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka Music and Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley Adapted for the Stage by Leslie Bricusse and Timothy Allen McDonald Based on the Book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl Open Date: 10 Nov 2017 Get Tickets Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka follows Charlie’s magical adventure when he wins a tour of Wonka’s chocolate factory. You’ll love the feast of songs from the original movie! Adapted for young audiences by Leslie Bricusse and Tim McDonald, based on Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Recommended for ages 5 and up.

Exhibit at The Berkeley Historical Society October 8, 2017 - April 1, 2018 While Berkeley did not have the large ballrooms of San Francisco, it had a variety of small clubs and medium sized venues that saw many legendary performances during the decade of the 1960s. The Fall 2017 exhibit of the Berkeley Historical Society will focus on these venues and the unique contribution of Berkeley musicians to 1960s music. The exhibit draws upon the extensive archives of Country Joe McDonald, as well as little known photographs from the Historical Society and several private collections. From small folk singer gatherings in private homes to public stages, Berkeley provided a rich milieu of opportunity for cross genre inspiration and creativity. Country Joe and the Fish, the Joy of Cooking and Creedence Clearwater Revival all had their start in Berkeley. A timeline of major national and international events will provide context for local musical developments. Other parts of the exhibit will focus on local recording studios, the Berkeley Folk Festival, the rock scene, rhythm and blues, the role of music in the protest movement and the career of Country Joe McDonald. Clothing and other artifacts of the period will also be on....